Law enforcement groups skeptical police reform talks can succeed after Tyre Nichols death
The nation's largest police organizations are willing to work with Congress to revive police reform negotiations following the death of Tyre Nichols, but are not optimistic anything will bear fruit.
foxnews.comLA mayor faces backlash in first week as critics say homelessness edict doesn't address 'systemic' issues
Newly sworn in Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is attempting to confront the cityโs homeless crisis head on, but critics say nothing will change until root problems such as widespread drug use and housing affordability are addressed.
foxnews.comCalifornia election results expected to be delayed for days, weeks in some Los Angeles-area races, report says
California mail in voting will likely delayed election results in key Los Angeles area races, including the mayoral fight between Rick Caruso and Rep. Karen Bass, by days or weeks.
foxnews.comPost Politics Now A tough night for liberals in California; Biden to host Summit of the Americas
President Biden is heading to Los Angeles to host the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of western hemisphere nations. While in the city, he'll appear on Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show.
washingtonpost.comLiberal Los Angeles could take right turn in mayor's race
One of the leading candidates for mayor is Rick Caruso, a pro-business billionaire Republican-turned-Democrat who sits on the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and is promising to expand spending on police, not defund them. At another time, the high-end mall and resort developer would seem an unlikely choice to potentially lead the nationโs second-most populous city, where democratic socialist Bernie Sanders was the runaway winner in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. Caruso is spending millions of his estimated $4.3 billion fortune to finance a seemingly nonstop display of TV and online ads to tap into voter angst.
news.yahoo.comCongressional leaders urge FCC to perform equity audit
Congressional leaders and a media advocacy organization are urging the Federal Communications Commission to investigate how policy decisions have disparately harmed Black Americans and other communities of color, according to a letter sent Tuesday to the acting FCC chair.
Movement for Black Lives opposes George Floyd Justice Act
A coalition of 150 organizations nationwide is opposing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The Movement for Black Lives argues the bill is entrenched in strategies that have historically failed to address police violence across the country and fails to meet the moment." The bill, designed by the Movement for Black Livesโ Electoral Justice Project, would also redirect funding toward communities to address the nationโs systemic racial injustices. โItโs not just about after the fact accountability,โ said Gina Clayton-Johnson, the lead BREATHE Act architect and leadership team member of the Movement for Black Livesโ Policy Table. AdBut the movement faces a significant uphill battle in securing needed political support from lawmakers who will be key in pushing forward the BREATHE Act or revamping the Justice in Policing Act.
Newsom will appoint Black woman if Feinstein retires early
Gavin Newsom says he'll appoint a Black woman to the U.S. Senate if Feinstein retires before her term ends in 2024. Gavin Newsom said Monday he'd appoint a Black woman to replace U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein if she retires before her term is up in 2024. โWe have multiple names in mind and the answer is yes," he said during a interview on MSNBC's โThe ReidOut" when asked if he would name a Black woman to the seat if given the chance. Newsom recently held that power after then-California Sen. Kamala Harris was elected vice president. He faced competing pressure to name a Latino and a Black woman and eventually chose Alex Padilla, making him California's first Latino U.S. senator.
House OKs George Floyd Act as Democrats avoid 'defund' clash
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ House Democrats passed the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide, avoiding a potential clash with moderates in their own party who were wary of reigniting the โdefund the policeโ debate they say hurt them during last fall's election. Approved 220-212 late Wednesday, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is named for the man whose killing by police in Minnesota last Memorial Day sparked demonstrations nationwide. โWe want to feel safe when we encounter law enforcement. โOur law enforcement officers need more funding not less,โ Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis. Another possible point of contention is provisions easing standards for prosecution of law enforcement officers accused of wrongdoing.
Eager to act, Biden and Democrats leave Republicans behind
But lawmakers and advocates are racing to capitalize on House rules that allow any bill to bypass lengthy committee hearings if brought forward by April 1. Senate Republicans are now threatening similar delays. AdโWeโll be fighting this in every way that we can,โ Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said about the COVID-19 package. McConnell wants Senate Republicans to vote in lockstep against the virus aid, calling it a bloated liberal wish list, following the lead of House Republicans who gave it zero support. That leaves Democrats negotiating with themselves on the COVID-19 package, with Biden warning they wonโt like every aspect as he courts centrists.
With Biden's backing, Dems revive bill to overhaul policing
House Democrats are hustling to pass the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing. The bill would ban chokeholds and โqualified immunityโ for law enforcement and create national standards for policing in a bid to bolster accountability. โOur law enforcement officers need more funding not less,โ Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said during Wednesday's debate. AdPolice unions and other law enforcement groups have argued that, without such legal protections, fear of lawsuits will stop people from becoming police officers โ even though the measure permits such suits only against law enforcement agencies, rather than all public employees. California Rep. Karen Bass, who authored the bill, understands the challenge some House members face in supporting it.
A look at how Biden's Cabinet nominees fared Tuesday
(Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ President Joe Biden's Cabinet is starting to fill out, with nominees for agriculture secretary and United Nations ambassador gaining Senate approval Tuesday. โAnd thatโs what we intend to do.โSchumer couldnโt resist a jab at former President Donald Trump, saying that all Bidenโs nominees are โundoubtedly qualified for their positions, a stark departure from the caliber of nominees the Senate was made to consider during the previous administration.โBut one of Biden's nominees, Neera Tanden to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget, is clearly in trouble in the evenly divided Senate. Currently California's attorney general, Becerra appeared Tuesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. โI'm not sold yet,โ Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the ranking Republican on the health committee, said, addressing Becerra. ___INTERIORRep. Deb Haaland, Biden's nominee to lead the Interior Department, fielded sharp questions from Republicans over what some called her โradicalโ ideas that include opposition to fracking and to the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Vice President-elect Harris to resign her Senate seat Monday
FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020 file photo, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris speaks as she and President-elect Joe Biden introduce their nominees and appointees to key national security and foreign policy posts at The Queen theater, in Wilmington, Del. โ Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will resign her Senate seat on Monday, two days before she and President-elect Joe Biden are inaugurated. Harris is the first woman ever elected vice president โ and the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent to serve in that office. The wins by Ossoff and Warnock in Georgia ensured a 50-50 Senate, positioning Harris as the tie-breaking vote for Democratic control. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, have enjoyed conversations and debates over how Emhoff should be addressed when Harris takes office.
Capitol police chief defends response to 'criminal' rioters
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund on Thursday defended his department's response to the violent breach at the Capitol, saying officers โacted valiantly when faced with thousands of individuals involved in violent riotous actionsโ as they stormed the building. Rioters โactively attackedโ Capitol police and other law enforcement officers Wednesday with metal pipes, discharged chemical irritants, and took up other weapons against our officers,'' Sund said in a statement. Capitol Police, who are charged with protecting Congress, turned to other law enforcement for help with the mob that overwhelmed the complex and sent lawmakers into hiding. Both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the complex before it was cleared Wednesday evening. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a former police chief, said it was โpainfully obvious" that Capitol police "were not prepared for today.
Lawmakers vow to investigate police after Capitol breach
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON โ Lawmakers are vowing an investigation into how law enforcement handled Wednesdayโs violent breach at the Capitol, questioning whether a lack of preparedness allowed a mob to occupy and vandalize the building. U.S. Capitol Police, who are charged with protecting Congress, turned to other law enforcement for help with the mob that overwhelmed the complex and sent lawmakers into hiding. Both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the complex before it was cleared Wednesday evening. Three other people died after suffering โmedical emergenciesโ related to the breach, said Robert Contee, chief of the cityโs Metropolitan Police Department. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a former police chief, said it was โpainfully obvious" that Capitol police "were not prepared for today.
California gets Latino US senator, some Black leaders angry
FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2019, file photo, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla talks during a news conference at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. California Gov. Newsom also rejected pleas from a host of prominent Black leaders to replace Harris, the Senateโs only Black woman, with another African American woman, such as U.S. Reps. Karen Bass or Barbara Lee. If confirmed, she would become the first Black woman to hold the office, giving Newsom two history-making picks in one day. Given the timing, however, it appeared the choice was intended at least partly to quell criticism for not choosing a Black woman to replace Harris. With Padilla, Newsom gets a political soul mate and a loyalist.
Gov. Newsom challenged to address Senate's lack of diversity
Gavin Newsom speaks at a COVID-19 testing facility in Valencia, Calif. As California Gov. Gavin Newsom's shoulders as he considers his pick to serve out the rest of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' Senate term through 2022. The South saw its highest number of Black Senate candidates ever this year, but none won races outright. Labor icon Dolores Huerta and California Latinas for Reproductive Justice want Newsom to appoint a Black woman. De Leon won the endorsement of the California Democratic Party and prominent labor unions, in part because of his support for immigrant rights and aggressive policies to curb climate change.
'Something very historical': Push for diverse Biden Cabinet
African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and other people of color played a crucial role in helping Biden defeat President Donald Trump. "It's nice to know that a Native American is under consideration," said Haaland, who says she is concentrating on her congressional work. A record six Native American or Native Hawaiian lawmakers were elected to Congress. Tribal officials concur there has never been a Native American as head of interior. The department's websites cite six Native American heads of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which was transferred to the Interior Department from the War Department in 1849.
California Senate sweepstakes: Who gets Kamala Harris' job?
Election Day is over but California already is consumed with its next high-profile political contest the competition to fill Kamala Harris' soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat. Padilla is one of a group of people being considered as one of the candidates for the Senate pick. A group of Black California lawmakers have organized a lobbying drive behind U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, who represents parts of Los Angeles and its suburbs. And they could wait: Californiaโs other Senate seat is held by 87-year-old Dianne Feinstein, the chamberโs oldest member. Does Newsom run the risk of angering groups who lose out on the Senate pick and who might make his re-election bid more difficult?
'So much work to do': How Biden is planning for transition
"No decisions, from personnel to policy, will be made until after the election,โ Biden transition spokesman Cameron French said Wednesday. Those roles include leaders of the treasury and health and human services departments and the director of the National Economic Council. One person familiar with the transition planning said Buttigieg could also be an ambassador to the United Nations. If Biden wins, it's unclear how closely Trump administration officials would work with the incoming team. โIs it going to mean the Biden campaignโs not going to be able to conduct the transition?
Harris draws on her past as US faces reckoning on police
Three months after Harris took office, a young city police officer was shot and killed. โJoe and I are very clear about this.โNeither Harris nor Biden support โdefunding" the police, but Harris says the country needs to โreimagine" what policing and community safety look like. But when Harris eked out a victory, she immediately reached out and began a listening tour with officers across the state. But he does not believe Trump's claims that Biden and Harris would wreak havoc on police departments. On Saturday night in Harris' home state, two Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies were shot in an ambush as they sat in their car.
Trump seizes on protests as Dems blame him for tensions
and announced he will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin, amid anger over the shooting of another Black man by police. The city has been the site of months of daily protests, and a large caravan of Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed Saturday night. The people of Portland, like all other cities & parts of our great Country, want Law & Order," Trump wrote Sunday. But Democrats accuse Trump of rooting for unrest and trying to stoke further violence for political gain instead of seeking to ratchet down tensions. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, blamed Trump for the tensions.
'Fanning the flames': Dems accuse Trump of stoking violence
Supporters of President Donald Trump and protesters hold banners as they wait for the motorcade of President Trump outside the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. The people of Portland, like all other cities & parts of our great Country, want Law & Order," Trump later tweeted. But Democrats accuse Trump of rooting for unrest and trying to stoke further violence for political gain instead of seeking to ratchet down tensions. Trump has cast the upcoming election as clash between law and order and anarchy, and he has denounced protesters as thugs while sharply defending police. And hes going to do everything to disrupt law and order in this time period."
Radical or moderate? Trump paints Democratic ticket as both
President Donald Trump's campaign is struggling to define California Sen. Kamala Harris, the newly announced running mate for Democratic rival Joe Biden. Like Biden, Harris has staked out relatively moderate stances over the course of her career on issues such as health care and law enforcement. That's complicating the Trump campaign's crude efforts to depict the Democratic ticket as out of step with the country. A radical leftist who is causing a revolt among Bernie voters. Harris ran her own campaign for the Democratic nomination as a relative moderate in the field.